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2/7/2023
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Rep. Serpa reappointed to chair Oversight Committee; meetings planned to address quasi-public agencies
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STATE HOUSE — Rep. Patricia A. Serpa (D-Dist. 27, West Warwick, Coventry), who was recently reappointed chairwoman of the House Oversight Committee, is planning a series of meetings during the current legislative session to examine the state’s quasi-public agencies.
Since first taking on the role, Representative Serpa has led her committee to shine light on such topics as the fatalities of children under the care of the Department of Children, Youth and Families, the botched rollout of the Unified Health Infrastructure Project, the mismanagement of transportation services for the elderly and Medicaid recipients, a major delay in state income tax refunds, and the investigation of admission and discharge practices at the state’s Eleanor Slater Hospital.
Now the chairwoman is turning her attention to the state’s several quasi-government bodies, which are agencies that were established by state law, but have certain budgetary, governing, and policy-making independence from executive and legislative governance. These include self-run agencies such as the Rhode Island Public Transit Authority or the Narragansett Bay Commission, for instance.
“These agencies were established by the General Assembly to exist with a certain level of independence,” said Representative Serpa. “But that doesn’t mean they should operate with complete autonomy. These agencies have various powers and responsibilities, but are still ultimately answerable to the taxpayers, and shining a brighter light on them would be consistent with the climate of transparency we are trying to cultivate in Rhode Island.”
Representative Serpa expects to schedule the first Oversight Committee meetings, along with which agencies to highlight, in the coming weeks.
For more information, contact:
Daniel Trafford, Publicist
State House Room 20
Providence, RI 02903
(401)222-1922
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